Farmers being in direct contact with the consumers and setting their prices independently, without having to submit to the wholesale market dictate - sounds like going back to the roots of agricultural markets. Behind this, however, is a model with a genuinely promising future. EURACTIV.de reports.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) should "normally" decide on the future of the so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) before the summer break in July. However, no date has yet been set, a source close to the issue told EURACTIV.com.

Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to animal diseases and creation of sustainable livestock. Vaccination may play a role in reducing the need for antibiotics, but it needs to be accompanied by other "tools", like education and training, farmer representatives and EU politicians have told EURACTIV.

The EU should embrace the new plant breeding techniques as the best chance to supply enough food for the EU's population, according to mainstream EU farmers. But organic farmers oppose this and a lot may depend on a European court ruling due before the summer.

Labelling products that result from the so-called new plant breeding techniques would provide little new information and would therefore make no sense for consumers, Garlich von Essen, secretary-general of the European Seeds Association (ESA), told EURACTIV.com.

The future of new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) at the EU level lies in the European Court of Justice’s interpretation of existing law, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com, adding that the executive will act accordingly at the political level.

European farmers should invest in post-2020 agriculture as it will be less bureaucratic, more focused on “technology breakthroughs” and will improve their standard of living, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan told EURACTIV.com.

The European Commission is playing hide and seek with member states regarding a ban on neonicotinoids, and this benefits pesticide manufacturers who keep on killing bees and the environment, Greenpeace claims.

There is a need to maintain the EU's main source of protein feed that are the co-product of biofuels, the European farmers association Copa-Cogeca told EURACTIV.com as the Commission announced its intention to draw up an EU-wide "protein strategy".

In light of Brexit, there is no doubt that the future of the EU agricultural policy will dominate discussions in Brussels in 2018. But the need for innovation and the introduction of new technologies in the sector will spark intense debates and trigger strong reactions from green NGOs.

The European Commission expects “important” clarity on the scope of GMO legislation ahead of a Court ruling on new plant breeding techniques, an EU spokesperson told EURACTIV.com following the release of an Advocate General’s first opinion.

Campaigners opposing new plant breeding techniques have organised protests in Brussels on Wednesday (17 January) calling on the European Commission to “prevent GMOs entering the EU market through the back door”.

Investors claim that the implementation of the Paris Agreement will lead to some governments introducing a "livestock levy" that cuts meat consumption from diets, in a move that could avoid up to $600 billon in climate damages by 2050. EURACTIV’s partner edie.net reports.

The global agricultural sector can curb emissions immediately and provide a window for fossil fuel-guzzling energy and transport sectors to decarbonise before global warming spirals out of control, the United Nations said on Friday (10 November).

As the EU debates how to regulate the so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs), critics have urged the Commission to build a legal framework that guarantees traceability and safety, while allowing farmers and consumers to support the model of farming of their choice.

The vice-chair of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee has argued that Europe should embrace innovative biotechnologies to boost food production while cutting the environmental impact of farming, but environmentalists remain sceptical.

EU farmers have expressed concerns about an ongoing court case on plant breeding techniques, saying it might end up being a "political" decision that does not take into account scientific and economic arguments.

The biotech industry has urged the European Commission to “show leadership and positive commitment” to plant breeding innovation - which environmentalists and farmers largely oppose - and to provide clarity on agricultural innovation in general.